(Merged) Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum questions

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

Wallace has had to try to carry a bad team every year. Much like Brandon is carrying the Blazers right now. Brandon Roy has only played over 70 games 1 out of his 3 first years. Would you turn him down? That's what I thought.

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

If that's the case and Nazr's contract aint no big deal, KP has to be just surveying and planning for the summer. Otherwise, what's stopping him from having Wallace and Batum?

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

You hit it right on the head. Wallace plays physical ball. That is why he rebounds so high, that is why he defends so well. He attacks the rim, and sacrifices his body. Exactly what the team needs.

 

Blazers like Batum better than Gerald Wallace?

I find the following very hard to believe . . .

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=519477

Am I crazy, or are the Blazers overvaluing Batum just a little?

 

Re: Blazers like Batum better than Gerald Wallace?

This is already in another thread. And I didn't read anywhere in the quote that the Blazers think Batum is better than Wallace. They may think RLEC and Batum are worth more than Wallace and Nazr, but we don't know about anything straight up.

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

Brandon played 74 games last year. That's once in the 2 full years he has been in the league. Crash has never played 74 games in a season in the 7 full seasons he was in the league - and will not get to this mark this year as well...

Going over their career - Brandon played in 83% of the games he was under contract during his career, Crash is at 70%

Brandon is not a model of health - but his health (and impact) are much higher than Crash.

Sorry - but the SF of the future of this team looks like Batum. Yes, he is young and inconsistent and effective only 50% of the time - Crash would be great - but since he is only effective for 70% of the time (assuming that he always is good when he plays - which is not really the case - but let's make this assumption) - the upgrade is not as big as you think.

So - you look down the road and ask yourself - when is this team going to contend? This year (no, with or without Crash), next year? (Unlikely), a year after that? (there is a decent chance, I would say).

So - two years down the road - do you think there is a chance that Batum will be effective 70% of the time (given that he is effective 50% of the time now as a rook)? I think there is a great chance he will be effective more than 70% of the time - which makes him a better (much much better) long-term prospect than Crash.

Love to have Crash on this roster. Would be happy to give Webster for him - but not Batum.

 

It may be that KP is looking to get a vet more to train Batum than to replace him. What's the point in getting a vet "short-term" SF if you're giving up the person you consider to be the long-range solution at SF?

 

Nazr is a pretty solid player who I wouldn't mind having him as a third stringer.

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

Not to mention that Batum can already hit the three decently (and should only get better), Wallace not so much.

I too would love to have Wallace, but would resist trading Batum because of his skill set and the fact that I may need someone to step up when Wallace is out after a crash.

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

Oh, so "carrying a team" is actually literal? His body breaks down because he's lifting all those players to and from the bus? My God, I never realized...

 

"Solid" in the sense of "solid block of concrete". But not solid in the sense of you'd like to have him on the court.

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

Well said. Although I actually wonder how well Wallace would fit with our team. He's got kind of a Cedric Ceballos game and that just doesn't work that well when you have scoring bigs. We want our wing players to stretch the defense. Can Wallace hit an open 20 footer?

 

I wouldn't mind having him on the court as our backup 4. He actually rebounds and defends pretty well and has shown a pretty good ability of scoring in the past. That all could have changed in the past 6 months but I doubt it.

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

Not sure about 20 feet, but he is not good from three (although he took four attempts last game IIRC).

 

Re: The Nazr Mohammed / Nicolas Batum question

This team takes way too many perimeter shots, that is half the problem. Portland is a jump shooting team. They never go to their strength inside, and jack it up from the outside. Certain Spanish guards that pass up gimme layins to throw it back out to the 3 point line for a low percentage shot are a large part of the problem. The game is won in the paint, not at the 3 point line.

 

I actually think that having more people attacking the rim off the dribble is a good thing for this team - and I think Crash will be good here. I just do not want to give RLEC and Batum to get it.